In this Present Darkness {Burdened}

I’ve started writing this blog about 30 times, and have yet to come up with the best way to introduce such a heavy topic. Partly because I don’t think I’ll be able to do it justice, and partly because I don’t want to leave out anything important. Another factor in my hesitation is simply that I hate disagreeing with people. It causes me to feel nauseated and slightly lightheaded. On that note, I will embark on this journey of thought, and hopefully leave a crumb trail thick enough for a reader to follow.

All but one of my classes are in the field of political science. While most of these classes don’t dig fully into current political arguments, our discussions do hover right over the precipices of the disagreements which cause a great deal of dissention in our nation {in regard to both domestic and international policy}. With this type of dialogue consistently on my radar screen, I feel as though I’ve been able to put more educated thought into the organization of government and how I think and feel about it. {*Disclaimer* I am not about to launch into a rant of amateur political jargon here, I’m just presenting some of the foundation for my thoughts.}

While I do mostly identify with one theory of political thought, I identify first and foremost with my Lord and Savior: Jesus Christ. I enjoy reading of, learning of, and realizing His attributes and the ways in which I might live my life as an imperfect reflection of Him. In my studies and in conversations with various people who I greatly respect I feel very strongly that we {meaning all living human beings} are alive in the last days. I understand that “no one knows when that day or hour will come-not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father {Matthew 24:36}.” But I do believe that while the day and hour escape us, the season is known. The duration of this season may extend for quite some time, but it is still a definite season. Why else would the Word of God include such a great deal of prophetic scriptures, but for us to catch a glimpse of His eternal plan? {“Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”Amos 3:7} {Isaiah 46:8-13}

Prophecy that speaks of Jesus’ first coming was hard for the people of that time to understand. Yet, those of us in this age {and all the ages since the birth of Christ} can easily see how completely God fulfilled every promise He made prior to sending His son to live on earth. In the same way, it is has been, and still is, hard to see exactly how this end will occur. But the fuzzy edges of this prophecy jig-saw-puzzle are becoming clearer all the time.

To bring this full circle, I included politics into the first section of this blog to explain the way I am seeing the world from a perspective that is new to me. While I’ve always enjoyed digging into theology, I haven’t always seen a connection between the global political structure and prophetic theology. With recent political upheaval in Northern Africa and the Middle East, the dependently suffering international economy, the devastation of natural disasters, the persecution of Christians, and the ever increasing population of religions contrary to Christianity, I find that there is hardly a doubt that this is the season of the end of the age.

With that, my first instinct is to fear and my human nature thinks “But GOD, I am still so young and I want so badly to live a life worthy of You!” {My human nature also thinks even more selfish and petty things like “will the end come before I’ve ever experienced true romantic love with the right man?” *hopeless/full romantics can bring such a thought into any deep theological and political conversation*} But after this flash of fear and selfishness, I am repeatedly soothed by the deep peace and love for Christ that radiates from my core. With the unimaginable felicity found in eternity, nothing on Earth could be worth any measure of fear and self-seeking pleasure.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. {John 14:6}’”